Police Officer Involved Domestic Violence.
Lighting a candle of remembrance for those who've lost their lives to domestic violence behind the blue wall, for strength and wisdom to those still there, and a non-ending prayer for those who thought they had escaped but can't stop being afraid.

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Monday, February 28, 2011

[Excerpts] Two sheriff's deputies from Luzerne County filed Protection from Abuse orders against each other after court papers allege an altercation involving a gun. Deputy Jennifer Roberts and Deputy Mary Jean Farrell filed those PFAs Friday afternoon at the Luzerne County Courthouse. Court papers indicate Farrell, 50, and Roberts, 33, had been living together when earlier this month the relationship ended, with Farrell telling Roberts to move out of her home. Now, Farrell has filed a Protection from Abuse order claiming Roberts threatened her... Deputy Farrell alleged Roberts assaulted her and pointed a gun in her face. Farrell wrote in the PFA, "I said don't you dare. I have kids. Then she (Roberts) placed it in her own mouth." In a PFA Roberts filed just hours later, Roberts alleged Farrell threatened her, saying Farrell "told me if she can't have me no one would, that she would kill me dead and no one would miss me, that's if they ever found my body"... Luzerne County Sheriff John Gilligan said there is an internal investigation underway... Deputy Jennifer Roberts has been suspended without pay... Deputy Mary Jean Farrell is out on workman's compensation. Both deputies had to surrender their weapons. [Full article here]

...At a news conference Monday afternoon, [City of Schenectady Mayor Brian] Stratton announced that he agreed with the recommendation of hearing officer Jeffrey Selchick that Officer Darren Lawrence be terminated for his actions surrounding a Colonie car crash on the Northway in 2006 that included an intoxicated Lawrence fighting with his ex-girlfriend's brother [Mark Viscusi]... Mark suffered a broken back and other injuries from the crash... after the crash, the two men fought over whether to contact police... Viscusi says he and Lawrence had been drinking the night before, and that after the crash, Lawrence did not want to call police...

You really have to visit this article at Albany Times to get the full impact - with photos - of what a BIG DEAL it is to fire a cop in Schenectady. Imagine a news conference announcement your boss is letting you go.

LAST IN STRING OF TROUBLED COPS FIRED: Darren Lawrence had long list of disciplinary troubles as Schenectady officer

Albany Times Union

By Lauren Stanforth

February 28, 2011

[Excerpts] Mayor Brian U. Stratton has fired the last in a string of police officers the city has attempted to push out over the last few years amid scandals of criminal and unethical behavior. At a news conference Monday afternoon, Stratton announced that he agreed with the recommendation of hearing officer Jeffrey Selchick that Officer Darren Lawrence be terminated for his actions surrounding a Colonie car crash on the Northway in 2006 that included an intoxicated Lawrence fighting with his ex-girlfriend's brother in an attempt to leave the scene. In October, a jury in Colonie Town Court acquitted Lawrence of harassment, a violation. But a disciplinary hearing was subsequently held regarding Lawrence's police department employment. The 10-year veteran did not return to duty after November 2008, when in a different incident he was accused of spewing racial slurs and fighting in a bar. In a separate disciplinary hearing, Selchick recommended Lawrence be suspended. Stratton acknowledged Monday that Lawrence has struggled with alcohol problems and has made efforts "to restore himself to good health and to stabilize his family life and relationships." But in the end, it wasn't enough to save the 34-year-old officer's job, with Stratton adding it took two incidents of misconduct and threat of termination for Lawrence to try to be sober... Last year, nine Schenectady police officers quit, retired or were fired for other scandals ranging from domestic problems to prescription drug abuse to use of excessive force. Lawrence was the last remaining disciplinary case of that group... [LINK]

UPDATE: SCHENECTADY OFFICER FIRED AFTER SUSPENSION

fox23news.com

February 28, 2011

[Excerpts] ... Lawrence was in court in October 2006, charged with harassment and leaving the scene of an accident. Those charges never stuck, but when the same allegations came up in a city hearing, a hearing officer determined that Lawrence should be fired from his job as a Schenectady police officer. Schenectady's mayor says he supports that decision in spite of Lawrence's efforts to make amends. "In my mind, there is a difference between the officer who responds early to a problem and one who responds only after confronted with the possible loss of his career," said Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton... City Police Commissioner Wayne Bennett says focusing attention on a handful of bad cops isn't fair to the other approximately 150 members of the department... Darren Lawrence had been on paid suspension up until Monday. His salary was approximately $70,000. His termination takes effect immediately... Darren Lawrence never faced criminal charges for that incident, but Schenectady officials say a hearing officer found that Lawrence didn't report a car accident, engaged in physical abuse and harassment and other intoxicated behavior that brought discredit to the city police force. [Full article here]

EXCERPTS FROM 7 OLDER ARTICLES:

Sch'dy Police Officer Involved in Crash, Fight on Northway

NEWS10

Oct 16, 2006

The vehicle, with a Schenectady Police officer, and another person inside, struck a guardrail... sending the car airborne, then rolling over into a ditch filled with water... Chief Heider says the assault victim walked to a home, just off the Northway in the middle of the night, woke the folks who live there, who called the cops. But the assault victim was so drunk, and so beaten up, police say he was unable to tell them where the accident happened... Schenectady Police meanwhile, are saying very little... Colonie Police are also very tight-lipped about the accident. They will not identify either of the people involved, and they will not show us the accident report... Chief Heider does say that the victim was beaten up pretty bad...

Colonie crash probed

Albany Times Union

October 18, 2006

...After the crash, the two men fought over whether to report the accident to police, and one of them claims he was assaulted... both men had injuries that could have come from either a crash or a fight... "This is not unlike a lot of Saturday night (incidents) that people regret Monday morning," [Colonie Police Chief Steve] Heider said...

New Exclusive Details in Crash Involving Sch'dy Cop

WTEM

Oct 18, 2006

...the off-duty officer is Darren Lawrence. Also in the car, Mark Viscusi, whose sister is named in the crashed car's registration... Mark suffered a broken back and other injuries from the crash... after the crash, the two men fought over whether to contact police...

Colonie police investigating accident

WTEM

10/18/2006 9:41 AM

Colonie Police Chief Steve Heider said, "There's a lot of allegations floating around" Now it's up to Colonie police to sort out what started as an accident ... and has turned into a more complicated case... "That was a rollover accident, extensive damage to the car"... Heider said they're looking into all possibilities but said an assault may be tough to prove because of the accident. He said, "It's kind of difficult to do the assault investigation, considering what injuries may be assault and what injuries may be a car accident...

Sch'dy Cop on Paid Leave After Bizarre Weekend Crash

WTEM

Oct 18, 2006

...Colonie Police say alcohol was involved, but because it is such a complicated case, it is not clear if it caused the crash, or who was the assaultee or the assaulter... Officer Lawrence already was being investigated by internal affairs... Lawrence and another cop got into a scuffle at Katie O'Byrne's. Police brass would not identify the officers... Now, if Officer Lawrence was driving - and police say they cannot prove that yet - he could be charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury crash, a misdemeanor. And if he did assault his girlfriend's brother - and police cannot prove that, either - he could be charged with felony assault. Sources close to the case say there is a good possibility that no arrests will ever be made...

The Schenectady cop who was suspended after being accused of leaving the scene of a car crash, is back on the job Tuesday. Officer Darren Lawrence was charged with leaving the crash on the Northway back in October, as well as harassment for an alleged fight with his passenger, Mark Viscusi. Lawrence was suspended, without pay - then suspended with pay; and now has returned to full-time. Viscusi says he and Lawrence had been drinking the night before, and that after the crash, Lawrence did not want to call police...

...Sandy [Williamson] had temporary possession of the home but had left it because she was afraid to be there... and even though there was a restraining order against him, he never paid attention to it and one morning Sandy said she woke up to Jim standing on her deck, dressed in a disguise... "She did her best to be upbeat and positive about everything that happened to her and a lot happened to her... She always took the high road..." Jim was a retired fire department chief from Thousand Oaks and Sandy had been a stay-at-home mom... Sandy was very afraid of her husband. She claimed he had pistol-whipped his prior wife and that she had an alarm installed at her house after he moved out... [Judith] Soley, the first woman to serve as president of the Fresno County Bar Association, has practiced law for almost 40 years...

BASS LAKE TRAGEDY, THE VICTIMS AND A BITTER DIVORCEabclocal.go.comCorin Hoggard, Sara Sandrick, Dale Yurong, Shannon HandyShannon HandyThursday, February 17, 2011[Excerpts] Court documents are revealing more about the suspect and the victims involved in a murder-suicide at Bass Lake. The suspect has been identified as Jim Williamson. Authorities found him dead early Thursday morning from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They say Williamson is responsible for the murders of his estranged wife, Sandy, and her attorney, Judy Soley. According to court documents, Sandy had been asking for the couple's Bass Lake home, nearly $12 hundred a month in spousal support, and more than $150 thousand in attorney's fees... Court documents show Sandy first filed for legal separation in 2004 and was granted a restraining order because of fears about domestic abuse. But the couple reconciled until 2007 when Sandy filed for divorce and requested a new restraining order. Sandy's pastor did not want to reveal personal details of the couple's relationship, but she did tell Action News Sandy's safety had been a concern in the past. Pastor and family friend, Dr. Candi McAlpine said, "There has been times when she's felt fearful." According to this court paperwork, Sandy was very afraid of her husband. She claimed he had pistol-whipped his prior wife and that she had an alarm installed at her house after he moved out. She also said quote, "I am extremely fearful, so much so that I had my grandson stay on the property with me." The documents also reveal financial fights between Sandy and her estranged husband... Judy Soley practiced law for almost 40 years. Her death left a large void in the valley's legal and public service community... Judy Lund recalled the moment fellow attorney Bob Koligian told her their close friend Judy Soley had been killed. Lund said, "I couldn't speak. I couldn't breathe." Koligian said of Soley, "She was the most endearing and kindest person"... Norma Rolff, a Williamson family friend said, "You think of these kinds of things happening in a big city, but not here. It was just too close to home"... [Full article here]

DOUBLE MURDER/SUICIDE SHOCKS: JAMES WILLIAMSON TAKES OWN LIFE AFTER SHOOTING ESTRANGED WIFE AND HER FRESNO ATTORNEY FEB. 16

Sierra Star

Brian Wilkinson, Tiffany Tuell, Carmen George

February 24, 2011

[Excerpts] A bitter divorce and an enraged husband led to the murder of two women Feb. 16 at about 1 p.m. at Ducey's at Bass Lake. According to the Madera County Sheriff's Department, James (Jim) H. Williamson, 71, shot his wife Sandra (Sandy) Kay Williamson, 65, and her Fresno attorney Judith L. Soley, 65, before driving to his Bass Lake home on Fawn Point Lane where he shot himself in the head... Over the past two and a half years, Jim Williamson was representing himself in court over the divorce. According to sheriff's department spokesperson Erica Stuart, Sandy Williamson and Soley drove to Ducey's and had lunch in the upstairs Bar & Grill. When they were leaving the restaurant they were confronted by Williamson who struck Soley once with his .357 Smith & Wesson revolver and then shot her... Sandy Williamson ran screaming back into Ducey's lobby and upstairs to the Bar & Grill where she was followed by her husband. He shot her twice... Deputies quickly found the truck parked outside the house he built with his father about 15 years ago... At the time the vehicle was discovered, deputies also saw fresh shoe tracks leading to the house. The Madera County Regional SWAT Team, including a negotiator, was called to the house at about 3:30 p.m. It was not until after midnight, after sending a camera-equipped robot into the house and using tear gas, that SWAT team members entered the house and found Williamson lying on a bed with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head... Jim was a retired fire department chief from Thousand Oaks and Sandy had been a stay-at-home mom, involved in 4-H. Soley, the first woman to serve as president of the Fresno County Bar Association, has practiced law for almost 40 years... Friends of Jim and Sandy Williamson remember the couple for their gracious hospitality and involvement in the church prior to what has been called a "nasty divorce" by one friend of the couple. The friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared a piece of Sandy's life. "She did her best to be upbeat and positive about everything that happened to her and a lot happened to her," the friend said. "She always took the high road if Jim was saying things that weren't true. She didn't refute them and just said people would find out the truth later. If she was afraid, she'd just go to some place he couldn't find her." The friend said Sandy had temporary possession of the home but had left it because she was afraid to be there even though she had security cameras and an alarm system installed at the house. The friend said Jim was "unpredictable" and even though there was a restraining order against him, he never paid attention to it and one morning Sandy said she woke up to Jim standing on her deck, dressed in a disguise. "She was a wonderful Christian and did a lot of missionary work," the friend said, adding that Sandy was a host home and administrator of the reservation system for Makihiki Hospitality Homes - a ministry that places ministers and missionaries in homes around the world. Sandy was involved in Kairos Ministry, which goes into prisons and conducts weekend retreats to bring life, hope and a Christian message to the inmates, according to Candi MacAlpine of Destiny Training Ministry and the Epicenter Prayer Room. Sandy had a ministry outreach program as a midwife/doula and spent a lot of time at the women's prison in Chowchilla, teaching birthing classes and birthing inmate's newborns. She founded nonprofit organizations Free to Give Life and Birth Rite Labor Services to teach others midwife skills in or out of prison. She had recently been invited to Saudi Arabia to teach birthing classes. She was involved in Destiny Training Center, GodShop house church and the Epicenter Prayer Room, helped with food distribution to those in need and the Christmas Eve dinner at the Oakhurst Community Center. She had plans to go to Hawaii in September to enrole in a Youth With a Mission Crossroads course to train for three months, then minister in another country for three months, MacAlpine said. "She was one of the most generous people you would ever want to meet, always thinking of the other person and how she could contribute or help them," MacAlpine said.... Court documents stacked seven inches tall reflect a long and bitter court battle between Jim and Sandy Williamson that has been going on for more than six years. After being married for 25 years, Sandy Williamson first filed for a legal separation on Sept. 9, 2004... [Full article here]

[Excerpts] A Bibb County sheriff’s lieutenant was arrested early Saturday after finding his wife in another man’s recreational vehicle and holding her and the man at gunpoint... Sheriff’s deputies responded ... after receiving a call that a person with a weapon was on the premises. [Man, KC] told authorities that Lt. Harry Fagan Fargason entered [KC's] recreational vehicle to find his wife... [KC] said Harry Fagan Fargason held the two at gunpoint. Fargason then had a verbal disagreement with his wife, fired one round into the corner of the bed, and left the campground... Fargason was later arrested at his home and charged with burglary, false imprisonment and aggravated assault. He is being held at the Monroe County Jail... [Full article here]

[Excerpts] A Bibb County sheriff’s lieutenant who was arrested Saturday for allegedly holding his wife and another man hostage has worked for the sheriff’s department for “several years,” according to the department... The lieutenant has not been suspended, DeFoe said, pending the outcome of the Monroe investigation. Fargason was being held at the Monroe County jail without bond Sunday evening. [Full article here]

...The girl said the abuse happened “a lot,” sometimes while Mike Akins Jr. was in his police uniform... The girls' mother asked Senior District Judge Ronald Innes to follow the state's recommendation for consecutive life sentences. She recalled how her children trusted Akins, who was in a romantic relationship with the mother when the crimes occurred over a period of six months in 2009. "Children are only children for a short time," she said, noting her girls had experienced two years of "fighting off a coward" who exposed them to sexual abuse... The 14-year-old boy testified Friday he disclosed the abuse after his mother and Akins split up because that’s when he felt safe...

[Excerpts] A former Inman police chief will serve at least 55 years in prison without parole for molesting three girls in 2009 in the small town southwest of McPherson. Mike Akins Jr., a 39-year-old Hutchinson native, was escorted from a McPherson County courtroom in handcuffs Tuesday after he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences under Jessica's Law, plus an additional five years in prison. A McPherson County jury convicted Akins last month of 15 charges he molested, inappropriately touched and solicited three girls, now ages 10, 11 and 15. He was acquitted of four charges, including allegations he also molested a boy, now 14, in 2009 in Inman... The girls' mother asked Senior District Judge Ronald Innes to follow the state's recommendation for consecutive life sentences. She recalled how her children trusted Akins, who was in a romantic relationship with the mother when the crimes occurred over a period of six months in 2009. "Children are only children for a short time," she said, noting her girls had experienced two years of "fighting off a coward" who exposed them to sexual abuse. Akins took an oath as an officer to serve and protect, but he only served his own "depraved" desires, she said. The mother noted he "still operates" on three social networking websites as if he is an officer, although "he has been removed from that privilege."... Innes said Akins betrayed the confidence of the children's mother and the confidence of the public when he failed to treat the girls as an authoritative figure or police officer. "He treated these children as a pedophile, and he is a pedophile ... any way you cut it," Innes said. "There is no evidence that he is in any way remorseful for what he did."... Akins told the judge the children "meant the world to me." He asked the judge to allow him to remain free on bond pending his appeal of the case... Innes said Akins' continued freedom "does present a danger to children" and denied the request. He ordered lifetime post-release supervision and lifetime offender registration for Akins, and no deduction from the sentence for "good time" in prison. He also ordered Akins to pay more than $6,000 to the Crime Victims Compensation Board. [Full article here]

[Excerpts] A 14-year-old girl testified this morning she was sexually abused in 2009 by a man who was the Inman police chief at that time. The girl said the abuse happened “a lot,” sometimes while Mike Akins Jr. was in his police uniform... The testimony came during the third day of Akins’ trial in McPherson County on 19 criminal counts alleging he molested, inappropriately touched or solicited three girls and one boy, all between the ages of 9 and 14. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2009 in Inman, where Akins previously served as police chief of the small town southwest of McPherson. The 14-year-old girl was given a minute to stop crying before taking the stand... [Full article here]

[Excerpts] There were several pauses Friday during trial for a former Inman police chief, as three of the four children called to testify began crying. The four children – three girls, ages 10, 11 and 15, and one boy, 14 – all testified they were touched inappropriately by Mike Akins Jr. in 2009. Akins, 39, is standing trial this week in McPherson County on 19 charges alleging he molested, inappropriately touched or solicited the children in 2009 when he was police chief of Inman, a town of about 1,200 people southwest of McPherso... The four children each testified they told their mother about the abuse in December 2009 after their mom inquired, and the oldest girl later wrote about it in a diary... The 15-year-old girl and the boy, 14, both acknowledged they weren’t happy about their mom being in a relationship with Akins. They described Akins as being very controlling. Vivian Winter, who owns the Inman Ampride, said Akins used to call her when the 15-year-old girl would walk over to the Ampride with friends after school in 2009. Akins always asked who the girl was with and what she was doing. When Akins asked to be called if the girl was talking to any boys at Ampride, Winter refused his request, she said. All four children said they didn’t talk to each other about the abuse, and didn’t disclose the abuse to anyone, because they didn’t want to make Akins mad or were afraid of what he might do. The children’s mother obtained a protection-from-stalking order against Akins in December 2009 after they parted ways. The 14-year-old boy testified Friday he disclosed the abuse after his mother and Akins split up because that’s when he felt safe... [Full article here]

A former FBI agent and Vietnam War veteran who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for slaying his son's girlfriend [Kimberly Long] in November 2008 was sentenced Wednesday to eight to 20 years in prison... "The defense attorney again, reminded the judge of EP's background and recommended probation... I was called up....I had been preparing for this for a long time and had over 2 pages to read, a photo collage board and my memory album filled with photos, letters and cards that Kim had sent me over the years. I had a lot to share.....for Kim had absolutely no voice to defend herself when they dragged her through the mud during the trial..."

[Excerpts] The sentence is eight to 20 years behind bars for a former San Diego FBI agent who murdered his son [Jeffrey Preciado-Nuno]'s girlfriend after a plot to evict the woman failed. Edward Preciado-Nuno, who was convicted by a Nevada jury of voluntary manslaughter, reportedly beat Kimberly Long to death in November of 2008 with a hammer. Preciado-Nuno is reported to have beaten Long more than a dozen times in the head with the hammer... There were 34 areas of injury on her body in all... [Full article here]

EX-FBI AGENT GETS PRISON TIME FOR HAMMER ATTACK

Las Vegas Review-Journal

By Francis Mccabe

Feb. 26, 2011

[Excerpts] A former FBI agent and Vietnam War veteran who was convicted of voluntary manslaughter for slaying his son's girlfriend [Kimberly Long] in November 2008 was sentenced Wednesday to eight to 20 years in prison... [Edward Preciado-Nuno] said Long had attacked him with a hammer first and he was defending himself when he killed her. At the sentencing hearing before Judge Donald Mosley, Preciado-Nuno apologized to the victim's family and to his own family for what had happened. Defense attorney Tom Pitaro asked the court to take into consideration his client's work with the FBI and service his nation and sentence Preciado-Nuno to probation... Long's adoptive father and mother, as well as her biological mother, all testified at the sentencing hearing and asked Mosley to sentence Preciado-Nuno to the maximum allowed under the law. Mosley obliged them, saying that it was difficult to believe that striking someone in the head 13 times, including the back of the head, was done in self-defense. Carol Heckeler, Long's adoptive mother, said on Friday that justice had been served by the verdict. "Kimmy can rest in peace now," she said... [Full article here]

BLOG FOR KIMBERLY:

Kimberly Long 1977-2008- This blog is in Honor of my daughter. With the intent to share her story and to create awareness of the devastating affects of Domestic Violence in our world. It will also serve as a place for friends and family to comment and share on Kim's behalf. REST IN PEACE KIMBERLY ANN...YOU ARE ARE MISSED AND LOVED.....

[Excerpts] On February 23, Edward Preciado - Nuno was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 4 - 8 years in state prison. Which means an 8 -16 year term. In this long ordeal to find justice for Kim, we finally had our day in court to speak on Kim's behalf... We were told to be there before 9am. We were briefed by Guancarlos Pesci, the prosecuting attorney in this case. EP was escorted to the jury box along with about 12 other thugs, dressed in navy blue jump suits orange socks and shackled and handcuffed... The prosecuting attorney reminded the judge of the severity of the killing and asked the judge for 20 years. The defense attorney again, reminded the judge of EP's background and recommended probation... I was called up....I had been preparing for this for a long time and had over 2 pages to read, a photo collage board and my memory album filled with photos, letters and cards that Kim had sent me over the years. I had a lot to share.....for Kim had absolutely no voice to defend herself when they dragged her through the mud during the trial... He then allowed me to read my statement. I was shaking like a leaf... Whew!...we had our day, finally, and it was rewarding for us to see him hauled away in chains and to know that he had at least 8 years to ponder his actions in a remote penitentiary in the northern deserts of Nevada. When parole time comes for him, he will have to face us again as we have the right to be there and will be notified... for now, we can breathe, we can sleep a little easier and move on with our lives and celebrate Kim's. Here is my statement... Victim’s Impact Statement Feb. 23 2011 - Thank you for this opportunity to speak on Kim’s behalf... [Full article here]

Sunday, February 27, 2011

...the sentencing followed guilty pleas by Timothy Scott Stiwinter... [Defense attorney Chris Stepp] said Stiwinter was distraught at the time of the accident over martial problems and a custody battle involving his son. "It was a time when he had hit rock bottom"... Stiwinter was on leave back in September after the ABC TV station in Ashville reported that his wife had taken out a protective order saying he threatened to put a bullet between her eyes. But his wife never pressed charges and Stiwinter stayed on with the patrol...

[Excerpt] A former state trooper who was drunk when he ran a red light, plowed into a car and fled the scene was sentenced today to 15 days in jail followed by a month of house arrest. According to the Asheville Citizen-Times, the sentencing followed guilty pleas by Timothy Scott Stiwinter in Buncombe County Superior Court. Stiwinter, 40, was convicted of felony inflicting serious injury by vehicle, felony hit and run, driving while impaired and failure to stop for a red light. Judge Phillip Ginn imposed a suspended sentence of 16-20 months in prison and three years of probation. As a condition of his probation, Stiwinter must serve the jail term and house arrest and pay a $1,000 fine... [Full article here]

FORMER TROOPER SENTENCED ON HIT AND RUN CHARGE

The Asheville Citizen-Times

8:34 AM, Feb. 15, 2011

[Excerpt] ... Police say Stiwinter was off duty from his job with the N.C. Highway Patrol when he ran a red light near the intersection of Airport and Fanning Bridge roads shortly before midnight June 24. The wreck left Ronald Schott, of Franklin, hospitalized in serious condition. An Asheville officer found Stiwinter’s 2006 Nissan Titan stopped on Hendersonville Road shortly after the accident and took him into custody. The trooper refused to perform a field sobriety test or take a blood-alcohol test. Stiwinter resigned a few hours later. He was a master trooper who had been with the Highway Patrol since 1999... [Full article here]

FORMER STATE TROOPER PLEADS GUILTY TO ASHEVILLE HIT-AND-RUN, DWI

Suspended term for DWI, hit-run

The Asheville Citizen-Times

Feb. 15, 2011

[Excerpts] Witnesses had no doubt Timothy Scott Stiwinter had been drinking the night he plowed into a car as it left Asheville Regional Airport. But the off-duty state trooper was sober enough to get out of his 2006 Nissan Titan, check the pulse of the man he had just left with serious injuries and then flee... Stiwinter "brought shame" on the N.C. Highway Patrol, [Judge Phillip] Ginn told him during sentencing... Police say Stiwinter ran a red light near the intersection of Airport and Fanning Bridge roads shortly before midnight June 24. Ronald Schott, of Franklin, had just returned from a business trip. He suffered a concussion and rib fractures and had to have his spleen removed ... Schott, 70, told the court during Tuesday's hearing that he's no longer able to work and suffered neurological damage that took away his senses of smell and taste. "I've lost my short-term memory. I have problems focusing on task," he said. "It impacted my life and my family's life"... Stiwinter refused to perform a field sobriety test or take a blood-alcohol test. Hess said a blood sample obtained by court order about three hours after the accident showed a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.16 percent, which is twice the legal limit... [Defense attorney Chris Stepp] said Stiwinter was distraught at the time of the accident over martial problems and a custody battle involving his son. "It was a time when he had hit rock bottom," Stepp said. "They say sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you start back up. Judge, I respectfully ask you to have mercy on this man"... [Full article here]

FROM LAST JUNE:

NC TROOPER ARRESTED IN DUI HIT-RUN

WTVD

June 26, 2010

[Excerpts] Yet another North Carolina Highway Patrol officer is in trouble. Department officials confirmed Friday that Trooper Timothy Scott Stiwinter was charged with drunken driving and felony hit and run after a wreck at the intersection of Airport Road and Fanning Bridge Road in Asheville Thursday evening. A 911 call was released Friday afternoon from a citizen who witnessed the crash at an intersection near the Asheville airport... Trooper Stiwinter started with the Patrol in 1999 and was assigned to the Troop G District 3 Hendersonville Patrol Office. But it turns out this isn’t the first time Stiwinter’s gotten the attention of his Highway Patrol superiors. Stiwinter was on leave back in September after the ABC TV station in Ashville reported that his wife had taken out a protective order saying he threatened to put a bullet between her eyes. But his wife never pressed charges and Stiwinter stayed on with the patrol. "It seems like it’s one thing after the other," NCHP Spokesman Sgt. Jeff Gordon said. "We’re gonna take this into account and we’re going to try to rebound from this and keep doing what we do best." Gordon says the vast majority of the 1,800 troopers work hard for the public and don’t get into trouble... According to a spokesperson for Bev Perdue, "no one is more frustrated by this latest news about misbehaving troopers than Governor Perdue. While she continues to believe that most of the men and women of the Highway Patrol do an excellent job every day, the simple fact remains, we expect better from all who wear the uniform"... ABC11's I-Team did some checking, and in the last three years, the patrol has had to fire at least five troopers and has accepted at least six resignations... [Full article here]

ORLEANS PARISH SHERIFF'S DEPUTY BOOKED WITH BRANDISHING GUN AT HER SON ON SCHOOL BUS

The Times-Picayune

By Cindy Chang,

February 26, 2011

[Excerpts] An Orleans Parish sheriff's deputy was booked with aggravated assault after she allegedly boarded a school bus in uniform and brandished a gun at her 16-year-old son... After the deputy, 38-year-old Cotina Holmes, got off the bus, the bus driver called police... Her bond was set at $15,000. She was suspended from duty immediately after her arrest, pending an internal investigation and the outcome of the court cas... "The Sheriff's Office maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding deputies engaging in conduct unbecoming of an officer or other illegal activities"... Holmes was not on duty at the time of her arrest, but an NOPD investigation determined she was wearing her uniform during the incident. She began working for the Sheriff's Office in 2003, leaving in 2009 for the Recovery School District before returning as a sheriff's deputy in February 2010. [Full article here]

Saturday, February 26, 2011

On November 27th 2007 a young woman had jumped out of her boyfriend's car during an argument and fled on foot towards the nearby store. He caught up to her though and was forcing her into his vehicle's trunk. Along came Superman. Retired Millville Police Officer Carmen F. DeGregorio Jr. saw what was happening, rescued the woman, sent her into the store and then went the other way. The woman's boyfriend followed him in his car and ran DeGregrio down. DeGregrio was taken to the hospital and died two days later. His killer was sentenced to 30 years in prison yesterday. DeGregorio had retired in 2004 after 25 years.

His daughter in court yesterday:

"A very big part of my life is gone forever. Day by day, night by night, I never stop thinking about him."

The young woman whose life he saved wrote on her facebook yesterday:

"day was very emotional n draining...so relieved dat dis part is over, so ready to start living again!! R.I.P Carmen Degregorio Jr. U live on in everyone's life u touched. 4ever grateful, always thankful... because of u I'm still here... :( Life is bittersweet."

Moultrie police investigator Cpl. Jason Wayne Cavin has been arrested for and charged with family violence false imprisonment. Moultrie police have asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to investigate. Cavin is suspended without pay pending that outcome.

February 25, 2011 - El Paso Police Officer Zake Rivera was arrested after (apparently) sexually assaulting a domestic violence victim, "without consent," in his patrol car outside the apartment building where the woman and her husband had their altercation. Officer Rivera's DNA evidence was found on her. Police Chief Greg Allen: "Sometimes you get poor quality and in this case it's a possibility... In this particular case his denial of the event is not going to alleviate this particular charge because we have enough evidence that points that he did do the offense." Records from 2006 show that the Civil Service Commission voted to disqualify Rivera from taking the exam to become a police officer.

Friday, February 25, 2011

The city is going to pay the estate of deceased officer's wife, Tera Andrea Cordova Chavez, $230,000 to in a lawsuit that alleges Tera's husband, Albuquerque police Officer Levi M. Chavez II, killed her and made it look like a suicide. The lawsuit alleges APD officers destroyed evidence at the scene, even though it was even out of their jurisdiction... Levi Chavez is still facing a wrongful death suit based on an insurance policy he changed right before his wife's death that covered his wife's death by suicide.

[Excerpt] The city of Albuquerque settled with the estate of Tera Chavez for $230,000 on Thursday years after she was found dead in her home. The settlement takes care of allegations that Albuquerque police were negligent at Chavez’s crime scene. The attorney for her estate said the case is about justice, not money. Chavez’s family said they never believed she killed herself in October 2007. She was married to Albuquerque police officer Levi Chavez. The young mother of two was found dead in her Los Lunas home with her husband’s service revolver by her side. The wrongful death lawsuit alleged that Albuquerque police destroyed evidence when they showed up at the scene that was being investigated by Valencia County sheriff’s deputies. His fellow officers said they went to the home to comfort Levi Chavez and his family. Investigators for Valencia County originally ruled her death a suicide and then later named him as a person of interest... [Full article here]

DA: CHARGES STILL POSSIBLE IN WRONGFUL DEATH CASE: Former APD Officer Levi Chavez Accused In Wife's Death

KOAT

February 24, 2011

[Excerpts] ... District Attorney Lemuel Martinez said charging [former Albuquerque Police Department Officer Levi] Chavez for his wife, Tera's, death is a real possibility at the moment. “I could just say at the beginning it didn't look promising, but it's looking a little different now,” Martinez said. “We feel we're getting close to making a decision on the case”... After Tera was found dead in Los Lunas, prosecutors said the Albuquerque police arrived to allegedly help Levi with grief counseling and clean up the scene to protect their children. The district attorney said criminal implications are also not out of the question for APD. “It may be, down the road, a possibility,” Martinez said... [Full article here]

CITY SETTLES SUIT IN DEATH OF COP WIFE: Suit stands against Officer Levi Chavez

kasa.com

Kim Vallez

Feb 2011

[Excerpts] ...Tera Chavez's family has always suspected her husband killed her and staged the scene to look like a suicide. The city agreed to pay Tera Chavez's estate $230,000, but in the settlement the city does not admit any guilt. "We don't like cutting a check like this, but there are times when you make an economic decision, and that is what we did in this case," Deputy City Attorney Katherine Levy said. The wrongful death lawsuit against Levi Chavez, the city of Albuquerque, APD, Police Chief Ray Schultz and several officers claimed Chavez killed his wife and made it look like a suicide. The suit also alleged several APD officers destroyed evidence at the scene, which was out of their jurisdiction in the first place. The suit also claimed APD failed to properly train and supervise Chavez, which contributed to his wife's death. Chavez claims he came home on Oct. 21, 2007, to find Tera had killed herself. While her death was initially declared a suicide by the Office of the Medical Investigator, it was later changed to "undetermined" because of the suspicious circumstances. Those circumstances included Levi Chavez changing his wife's life insurance policy to include a payout for suicide a few weeks before she died... Levi Chavez is not yet in the clear. The settlement only covers his actions as a police officer. A wrongful death lawsuit against him still stands and is scheduled for trial in May. Attorney Brad Hall, who represents Tera Chavez's family, said the family is anxious for the trial. He says there is a lot to this case that will be revealed during this trial, information the family wants the public to hear... "There is no friend or relative of Tera's that believes this is a suicide"... Levi Chavez is still on APD's payroll but has been assigned to work in the city's Animal Welfare Department. [Full article here]

CITY AGREES TO PAY $230K IN SETTLEMENT

ABQ Journal

By Scott Sandlin

Friday, February 25, 2011

[Excerpts] The city has agreed to pay the estate of Tera Andrea Cordova Chavez $230,000 to settle its part of a lawsuit that alleges Tera Chavez's husband, Albuquerque police Officer Levi M. Chavez II, shot her in the head in October 2007 and made it look like a suicide. The partial settlement of the lawsuit means the May trial setting before 2nd Judicial District Chief Judge Ted Baca in May will have only Levi Chavez as a defendant... "We're completely out of the case," said acting City Attorney Kathryn Levy. "Any claims against him now are in his personal capacity, not course and scope of his employment." She said the settlement was an economic decision, and the city denies any liability. "We need to just bring closure to the administrative investigation of Levi Chavez," Levy said. Chavez is still being paid as an officer, but is working for city Animal Control. He has not been criminally charged... "I remain really hopeful and extremely confident that if he's charged, he will be acquitted because he's an innocent man," Levi Chavez's attorney, David Serna, told KOAT-TV. Brad Hall, the attorney representing Tera Chavez's estate, said the family is very happy the city settled the negligence claims against the supervisors. The main beneficiaries of the estate are the couple's two children. "The perpetrator is officer Levi Chavez," Hall said. "The estate alleges that he killed Tera Chavez, and then tried to stage a suicide in a pretty unconvincing manner. It will be up to a jury to decide the value of the life of Tera Chavez. This partial settlement is just for APD's role." [Full article here]

CITY SETTLES WITH FAMILY OF DEAD WIFE OF APD OFFICER

KOB Eyewitness News 4

By: Kayla Anderson

02/24/2011

The city has announced it has agreed on a settlement and will cut a check within the next few weeks, regarding the death of an Albuquerque Police Officer's wife. The family of Tera Chavez will soon be getting a check for $230,000 as part of this settlement with the city. The city says it is paying out for economic reasons, not as an admission of guilt... Her husband, APD Officer Levi Chavez was named a person of interest. His police issued gun was found right next to Tera Chavez's body. Her family sued for wrongful death, claiming that other APD Officers went into the home and destroyed crucial evidence, even though the investigation was not in APD's jurisdiction. That claim by the family against those officers has now been settled. The city says it does not admit guilt in this settlement and strongly denies the claims... Levi Chavez is still facing a wrongful death suit. He's accused of changing his wife's insurance policy to include a suicide payout clause before his wife's death. It became effective just 17 days before she was found dead. [Full article here]

...This complaint arises from the death of Tera Andrea Chavez on October 21, 2007, in Los Lunas, New Mexico... On July 21, 2007, Tera Chavez told her mother and her sister-in-law, (two of her closest confidants), that "if anything ever happens to me, Levi did it". Also in late July, 2007, Tera Chavez told several friends, relatives and co-workers that 'Levi is now telling people that I am depressed and going to hurt myself; he's nuts, my kids are my life'... At the end of August, 2007, as her birthday approached, Levi Chavez uncharacteristically bought his wife a diamond ring, an expensive cell phone... On July 12, 2007, Tera Andrea Chavez decided to start life anew without Levi Chavez. Tera Chavez has always kept diaries and journals. She stopped writing in the diary she had been keeping to "vent" about her marriage. This old diary ends with the words: "So good-by to the person I used to be. Welcome New Day. Happiness!!". Tera Chavez then began using a new diary. The most recent diary of Tera Chavez disappeared at the time of her death from its usual hiding place... The latest diary remains missing... When Joseph Cordova was awakened at about 3:00 a.m. and told by VCSO officers that his daughter had committed suicide with an APD handgun, Mr. Cordova immediately and forcefully told the Detective to lock the house down and preserve all evidence, because she did not kill herself, Levi did it.' Tera's cell phone kept making and receiving calls and texts after her death, even though her cell phone was secured in evidence at VCSO... Tera's cell phone kept making and receiving calls and texts after her death, even though her cell phone was secured in evidence at VCSO. After her birthday gift in late August, there were two phones using the same number, one being a "clone phone"... The gun was subsequently tested for fingerprints, and there are no fingerprints of Tera Chavez on the gun, nor on the magazine clip, nor on any bullet... When the Cordovas went to Tera's house to get clothes for the viewing and for the grandkids prior to the funeral, they were shocked to find that Levi Chavez and reportedly "cop friends or relatives" had already removed or packed every single thing in the house that was owned by or referred to the existence of Tera Chavez, including all photographs, clothing, furnishings, art work, wall hangings, jewelry, writings and her current diary. Neighbors' statements indicate that Levi Chavez and "cop friends or relatives" had backed a truck up to the house and unceremoniously threw stuff into it, loaded it up with some of her belongings, and drove away, before funeral services occurred... The investigation of this case has been hampered by a custom and policy known as 'the blue line', or the 'blue code'. No regular husband could call the police and claim his wife committed suicide with his gun, and have his fellow co-workers arrive on the scene to have unfettered access to the crime scene, leading to the destruction of crucial evidence, without consequence. The 'blue line' custom of closing ranks around any officer suspected of anything, is so strong, that APD has done little or no internal affairs investigation of this matter. The 'blue line' reaction to protecting themselves from any outside scrutiny is especially strong in a case where sexual fraternization among officers and between officers and other officers' spouses is part of the fact pattern. The 'normal joe' would be even more suspicious to police under these circumstances if the 'normal joe' and his friends simply declared to the cops that it was "suicide", and its nobody's business who has had affairs with whom. Here, however, because of the customs and policies associated with the so-called "blue line", the declaration of 'suicide' by Levi Chavez was accepted by all investigators, (at least at the outset). The City of Albuquerque has not done its own, official internal investigation of the causes of the death of Tera Chavez, and still pays Levi Chavez a police officer's salary... APD personnel drove out to Los Lunas, and injected themselves into the crime scene after receiving a courtesy call from a Valencia County Sheriff's sergeant... OVER THE OBJECTION OF THE VCSO INVESTIGATORS, the "APD Spoliation Defendants" entered the crime scene... By the time they left, key pieces of evidence were destroyed and lost forever, while other evidence has been contaminated and disturbed. Some of the "APD Spoliation Defendants" demanded the "professional courtesy" of being able to remove bloody bedding to protect the family of Levi Chavez from seeing it, and some of the APD "Spoliation Defendants" cut up and removed sheets and mattress material. A blood sample in a toilet was flushed away by an APD officer... Because some of the "APD Spoliation Defendants" actually cut up and removed the sheets and bedding from the crime scene, it is now impossible to run any subsequent scientific testing of the bedding... In addition, because of the spoliation of evidence, the fact-finder in this case cannot now meaningfully pursue fingerprints from several crucial items that were in the bedroom, the kitchen table area, the living room table, the fireplace mantel, and all around the house... Even more critically, a Valencia County Sergeant Detective (who was the crime scene supervisor) observed blood in the toilet of the bathroom and duly documented his visual observations in his police report. His report describes a 'blood pool' about the size of a quarter or so at the bottom of the otherwise clean water in the deepest portion of the toilet bowl. After noting the sample, he left to obtain the equipment to remove the blood from the toilet for sending to the State crime lab. However, one of the "APD Spoliation Defendants" urinated in that toilet and flushed the evidence away. When the VCSO Detective returned to collect the blood pool, it was gone forever... The gross negligence or deliberate indifference to crime scene preservation by "APD Spoliation Defendants" or union representatives shocks the conscience...

Thursday, February 24, 2011

West Virginia State Police arrested Mason County Sergeant Robert Fruth II on two violations of a domestic violence petition yesterday and he was suspended without pay. He was arraigned and then released on a $5,000 cash bond and the stipulation that he be placed on home confinement.

Domestic violence assault charges against "resigned" Martin County sheriff's deputy Christopher Dandre Johnson - are dropped. Martin County sheriff's Lt. Drew Robinson could not say why the charges were dropped or release any details about the circumstances of the resignation. Johnson was accused of assaulting and striking his girlfriend by "slamming her on the couch, choking her, elbowing her in the face twice, leaving a bruise, punching her in the mouth, knocking two teeth loose causing her mouth to bleed."

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

A fired officer is no longer a problem for the department but can easily be MORE dangerous and lethal to his victims. Nothing more frightening than someone with nothing much left to lose. I am lifting a prayer for everyone (yes everyone) involved.

NEW CRIME:...The struggle moved around the bedroom and the attacker began hitting them with a lamp, according to the police report. The woman's boyfriend eventually was able to break away and go for help, but Byrne grabbed his ex-wife, slammed her face into the wall and repeatedly screamed, "I will kill you"...

PREVIOUS POST:Wednesday, October 7, 2009[MA] Man beaten by just-fired Officer Byrne says Byrne's wife is battered and eventually will be slain. Says he has threats on tape - ...Byrne, 38, has a "long history of conflict due to an ongoing relationship between Byrne's wife... and (the alleged victim)"... The alleged victim told police Byrne's wife is a battered woman, adding that "Byrne is unstable and that he will eventually kill (his wife)"... The man said he had lost count of how many times Byrne had threatened to kill him. The man also said Byrne was often in uniform while making the alleged threats... Police said the alleged victim also has voice mail recordings of Byrne identifying himself and making threats...

EX-POLICE OFFICER FACES NEW CHARGESCape Cod TimesBy Karen JeffreyFebruary 23, 2011[Excerpts] A judge will be asked Friday to determine whether a former Sandwich police officer poses such a threat to his ex-wife and others that he should be held without bail. Dennis Byrne, 40, was arrested early Monday morning and accused of beating his former wife and her boyfriend after breaking into their Hyannis home. Byrne lost his job as a patrolman in 2009 after he attacked a man while off duty and beat him so badly that the victim required 37 stitches... At about 3 a.m. Monday, the Barnstable police were called to 207 Straightway, where a man and woman reported being awakened by an intruder attacking them in their home... The woman told the police that she woke up to see a man, whom she described as her ex-husband, sitting on her boyfriend's chest and pummeling him. The struggle moved around the bedroom and the attacker began hitting them with a lamp, according to the police report. The woman's boyfriend eventually was able to break away and go for help, but Byrne grabbed his ex-wife, slammed her face into the wall and repeatedly screamed, "I will kill you," the police report states... On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to armed burglary and assault, assault with a dangerous weapon (lamp), assault and battery, and vandalism. No bail was set pending Friday's dangerousness hearing, which was scheduled at the request of the Cape and Islands District Attorney's Office... If Byrne is found to be dangerous, he can be ordered detained without bail for up to 60 days. In June 2009, the Sandwich police arrested Byrne after an attack on a man who had a relationship with his wife... Byrne attacked the man, hitting him several times in the head, causing wounds that required 37 stitches. He continued to punch the victim even when he fell to the ground ... the victim told the police that prior to the attack, Byrne had repeatedly threatened violence against him and he believed that Byrne's wife was at risk of being killed. The Sandwich police placed Byrne on leave immediately following the incident then fired him in October 2009. In October 2010, Byrne admitted sufficient facts in Barnstable District Court to assault and battery — a charge punishable by up to 2½ years in jail. By admitting sufficient facts, Byrne did not admit guilt in the 2009 beating, but admitted that the district attorney had enough evidence to convict him if the case went to trial. As part of the plea agreement, Byrne was ordered to stay away from the victim, enter counseling and take anger-management classes, and pay a fine of $1,250. In exchange, the case was continued without a finding for two years... However, as part of the plea deal, Byrne agreed that if he was arrested during that two-year period, he faced being sent to jail ... [Full article here][police officer involved domestic violence oidv intimate partner violence (IPV) abuse law enforcement public safety repeat hx brutal lethal massachusetts state politics]

[Excerpts] According to a police report drafted by Officer Philip Mauro, badge no. 91, documenting a domestic violence incident on August 12, 2010, the following events occurred - "Upon my arrival to the above residence, I was met in the driveway by an adult female later identified as Clara Colon... She advised she sustained a visible bruise on her right inner bicep caused by Mr. Colon grabbing her... She advised me Mr. Colon was a police officer with the Elizabeth Police Department and he was armed... and she was in fear for her life..."... Clara Colon has a very different story to tell. Ms. Colon said she had bruises all over her body from her husband’s malicious attack. She gave all of these details to Officer Mauro and another responding officer... “I don’t sleep at night,” says Ms. Colon. She is intent on fighting this matter and finding a civil rights attorney to represent her. Since her experience, she has reached out to others who have suffered similar abuse at the hands of their police officer spouses. “We’re just supposed to go away, shut up and take it.”...

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

...Mercer County corrections officer Leslie McMillon shot and killed Paula Wilson on April 19, 2004 - following an "ongoing domestic dispute between the two individuals." MicMillon, who comes from a family of corrections officers, is currently doing 18 years in prison.

..."This crime I committed, I’m very sorry. I wish it never happened... It wasn’t me. I just snapped. I just lost it and I’m very sorry for it"...

--Leslie McMillon

Oh what a tangled web we weave,

When first we practice to deceive!

-- Sir Walter Scott

PRISON GUARD ARRAIGNED ON MURDER CHARGES

abclocal.go

April 20, 2004

[Excerpts] Bail has been set for the Mercer County corrections officer who turned herself in Monday night, hours after allegedly gunning down a former female inmate with whom she allegedly had a sexual relationship. Dressed in a football jersey and shackled at the hands and feet, Mercer County corrections officer Leslie McMillon was arraigned on murder and weapons charges in Trenton municipal court today. McMillon is accused of gunning down her former girlfriend, 35-year-old Paula Wilson, who's body was discovered yesterday afternoon dangling from the 3rd floor fire escape of her South Broad Street apartment. Sources say the shooting may have been triggered after the victim told Internal Affairs officials at the county jail that she and McMillon began a sexual relationship while Wilson was an inmate there, resulting in McMillon's suspension... Paula Wilson's cousin says the victim went to jail officials because she was upset that officer McMillon began seeing another woman... Kenniqua Nolan/VICTIM'S COUSIN: "I just think right now it's 2 families torn apart right now because there's kids involved. Both of their kids now are left without parents." Wilson was the mother of 4 children, McMillon two. Friends and family of both were emotional in court where a not guilty plea was entered on McMillon's behalf. "You don't even know what this is about" was the suspended officer's response when a family member of the victim called out "you didn't have to kill her". Bail has been set at $750,000...

WOMAN SHOT DEAD IN APARTMENT

The Trentonian

By Trymaine D. Lee

Tuesday, April 20, 2004

[Excerpts] By 5 p.m., four hours after the midday shooting halted traffic on the corner of South Broad Street and Chestnut Avenue, 41-year-old Leslie McMillon, a recently suspended 15-year veteran of the Mercer County Corrections Center, surrendered to police... Police said McMillon, of Scenic Drive in Ewing, allegedly shot Wilson following an "ongoing domestic dispute between the two individuals"... Police would not elaborate last night on the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s suspension... Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes released a statement concerning McMillon’s suspension. "Based on information received by the Internal Affairs Unit, Corrections Officer McMillon had been suspended in the past week following a disciplinary hearing"... "It was like, ‘bang-bang,’ then I heard her scream," said Michelle Hewitt, a neighbor and acquaintance of Wilson. "Then there were two or three more shots"... Some said the victim was a quiet woman who generally shared only a simple "hello and that’s about it"... Another said Wilson sold clothing from her home, though she had a job for which someone picked her up most mornings. "She gave me her last $3," said Eric Armbruster, who said the victim paid him two dollar bills and four quarters to carry her brand-new air conditioner upstairs. "She joked and told me to stay cool," Armbruster added... One witness, who has lived on the 900 block of South Broad Street for the past nine years and declined to identify herself, said she was in the alley behind her home when the shots rang out. The female witness said she then saw a large woman, someone she initially thought was a man, run from the apartment building and jump into a red car and speed off... [Full article here]

DEADLY LABYRINTH: FRIEND: VICTIM KILLED TO SILENCE TESTIMONY

The Trentonian

By Trymaine D. Lee

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

[Excerpts] ...The friend, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said prison guard and murder suspect Leslie McMillon became furious after she found out Wilson would testify and inform investigators of their purported jailhouse escapade... [Trenton police spokesman Lt. Joe] Juniak said police believe the shooting was precipitated by an "ongoing domestic dispute" between the women, who had a prior relationship... Police found Wilson’s half-naked body dangling from the fire escape of her South Trenton apartment about 1:10 p.m. Monday... "Not to justify the killing, but after 15 years of trying to build up your reputation, and then somebody tries to knock you down ...I could imagine being hurt," a source said yesterday. The woman said she knew Leslie "Big Lez" McMillon from the streets, and from spending time in the county jail. And though she personally knew her only vaguely,she said she knew to stay out of her way. Friends of McMillon said she didn’t take nonsense from anyone, and behind the walls of the Mercer County Correctional Center, she held her own with the male guards. McMillon comes from a family of corrections officers. Her father recently retired from the department and her younger sister is a rookie officer in the facility... Wilson’s friend said that Wilson desperately wanted to continue a relationship with McMillon after being released from jail in the beginning of 2003, but that McMillon wanted to cut off the relationship. Wilson first confronted McMillon’s girlfriend, and told her about their sexual relationship, hoping to break up the pair, an associate of both women said yesterday. "Her final resolution was to let Internal Affairs know that she had been (sexually involved) with her," the victim’s close friend said.... "For (Wilson) to go and try to ruin (McMillon’s other) relationship, then make her lose her job ... it’s bad that this happened to her, but I saw it coming," said the friend, who said she and the victim were raised together like cousins. Friends of Wilson said she has four children, ranging from 4 to 10 years old. Two of the children live with two of Wilson’s aunts; the two older children are staying elsewhere with other family... McMillon was being held at the Trenton lockup... Her bail has been set at $750,000 cash. The suspect spent time yesterday undergoing a mental evaluation, police said. [Full article here]

‘I KNOCKED THE DOOR IN AND SHOT HER’

The Trentonian

Saturday, January 21, 2006

[Excerpts] A jailhouse lesbian liaison, turned tragic when the guard killed her inmate lover, led to a guilty plea in Mercer County Superior Court yesterday by former corrections officer Leslie McMillon. The bullet-riddled body of Paula Wilson, McMillon's lover during her imprisonment at the Mercer County Correctional Center, was found dangling from the fire escape of her South Broad Street home in Trenton April 19, 2004. Wilson was expected to reveal her in-prison love affair to McMillon?s bosses, who had already suspended the women under suspicion she was conducting inappropriate relations with female inmates... “I knocked the door in and shot her,” said McMillon, whose hearing ended yesterday... Her deal called for McMillon to plead guilty to aggravated manslaughter in exchange for an 18-year prison term, said Judge Charles Delehey. Under the terms of the No Early Release Act, Delehey said McMillon has to serve 85-percent of the sentence (15 years, four months) before she's eligible for parole. Once released she'll be on supervised parole for five years... Wilson was shot in the back as she was trying to escape from her third-floor apartment once McMillon busted down the door... McMillon had been suspended from her job... [Full article here]

MCMILLON GETS 18 FOR LOVER’S MURDER

The Trentonian

By Scott Frost

Saturday, March 04, 2006

[Excerpts] With [Paula] Wilson’s children crying in the background, Superior Court Judge Charles Delehey instructed the 43-year-old city grandmother she was heading off to jail for 15 years of that sentence before she’s eligible for parole. [Leslie] McMillon will be housed in the same cells she used to guard as a corrections officers for 17 years, in the same confines where her lesbian love affair with Wilson sparked several years before... She pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in January. "This crime I committed, I’m very sorry. I wish it never happened," said McMillon, who was handcuffed and shacked at waist, wearing an orange prison jumper. "It wasn’t me. I just snapped. I just lost it and I’m very sorry for it." Barbara Wilson, the victim’s aunt, now has custody of Wilson’s four children. She brought the children to court yesterday to prove how well the legal system works. "She’s not a saint, but she had a good heart and she was a human being," Wilson said of her niece... Mercer County Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Lacken, who was working the case in 2004, said Wilson was on the phone with a friend, Carlene Coates, shortly after McMillon had called that afternoon... "This was a situation where the victim wanted her back and Leslie didn’t want a relationship with her," [defense lawyer Robin] Lord told Delehey prior to his ruling. "She snapped. That’s what happened. And a terribly sad thing that someone died." [Full article here]

...The city cop charged with three separate domestic violence complaints; The a female officer who escaped serious punishment for assaulting an ex-boyfriend; The officer charged with burglary, assault, and firing his weapon; The arrest of a TPD officer for a domestic violence incident in Maryland...

[Excerpts] ...The Mendez affair is the latest black eye for a police force that Acting Police Director Joseph Juniak admits has had a bad start to 2011... Another officer allegedly kidnapped and roughed up his girlfriend, and ended up getting arrested then freed on $100,000 bail... Several police officers yesterday said cops with ties to influential top officers and politicians get preferential treatment regarding disciplinary issues...

Critics have cited several incidents that were never disclosed to the public and other allegations that have yet to be dealt with at police headquarters, including:

• The city cop charged with three separate domestic violence complaints;

• The a female officer who escaped serious punishment for assaulting an ex-boyfriend;

• The officer charged with burglary, assault, and firing his weapon;

• The arrest of a TPD officer for a domestic violence incident in Maryland...

A common criticism raised by Trenton residents is a lack of information about resolutions regarding police misbehavior... George Dzurkoc, president of Trenton’s PBA local, recently told union members that they needed to clean up their act...

Recent incidents involving Trenton police officers...

Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 -Erwin L. DeLeon, 24, who was brought back to duty after he allegedly roughed up a girlfriend in Bordentown City in April, was charged with assault and kidnapping after Trenton cops arrested him Friday night. DeLeon allegedly grabbed and pushed his girlfriend and physically prevented her from leaving his car, according to court documents. DeLeon, suspended without pay, was charged with kidnapping and simple assault and was held on $100,000 bail... [Full article here]

Vermont State Trooper Timothy Newton has pleaded not guilty to charges arising from an off-duty incident in which he is accused of punching a Bennington Police Department dispatcher in the nose after a Super Bowl party... According to the affidavit, the woman’s nose was swollen, disfigured, and bleeding... According to the affidavit, the child said Newton and her mother were arguing, and that Newton said he would hit her mother because he was locked out of the house. Somehow he got inside and came into the bedroom where the child and her mother were and punched the mother in the face, making her nose bleed, the affidavit said. The child said her mother then told Newton she hated him while Newton apologized to them both...

After Newton pleaded not guilty, Judge David Howard released him without bail on the condition he not have abusive contact with his alleged victim, not possess firearms and appear for future court hearings.

Newton is assigned to the barracks in Shaftsbury and was off-duty at the time of the alleged incident. State police officials have said Newton is currently on paid administrative leave.

The trooper is represented by attorney Stephen L. Saltonstall of Manchester, who said his client has a clean record, had been with the state police for seven years and had been with the Military Police for six years prior to that.

Saltonstall told the Banner that he and his client have no comment at this time.

The prosecution’s case is weak, Saltonstall said, adding that the elements for the charge were provided by statements from a 4-year-old witness and are unreliable. He said the woman Newton is accused of assaulting maintains that no assault took place and wishes to have contact with Newton.

Ellen Karyger, a deputy attorney with the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office, represented the state for the arraignment. Karyger was deputized by Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage for the purposes of the arraignment. She indicated to Howard that Marthage will file a motion to have the case transferred to the Windham court within the next 10 days.

Marthage had filed that motion initially, but retracted it. Saltonstall indicated he’d opposed the motion the first time and may do so again.

The Windham and Bennington courts typically use each other in cases where there are professional conflicts, Marthage said.

According to an affidavit by Detective Sgt. Richard Holden of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, on Feb. 8 he was called to the Shaftsbury barracks to be briefed on a case involving an incident between Newton and a woman on Feb. 6.

Holden said he learned from recording equipment and reports by troopers who responded that Newton was at a Super Bowl party with the woman and the two got into an argument, then decided to leave in a vehicle. On the way back, Newton stopped the vehicle and got out, saying he would walk. The woman then drove off in the vehicle.

At 11 p.m., a Bennington Police Officer Thomas Bull saw Newton walking in North Bennington and contacted state police. Trooper Robert Zink showed up and drove Newton home.

Shortly before midnight, dispatchers received a 911 hang-up call from Newton’s home, and no one picked up when the number was called back. Zink and Trooper Travis Hess were sent to the home, then dispatch made contact with Newton, asking if anything was wrong. According to the affidavit, Newton responded, "I don’t know; you’d better ask her."

The woman spoke with dispatch, said everything was fine, and said that a child had dialed 911 by accident. The call then ended.

Zink spoke with Newton, who said the woman was "flipping out" and throwing him out of the home. The woman had been in the bathroom and came out with a towel on her face saying she’d bumped her nose.

According to the affidavit, Zink noted the woman’s nose was swollen, disfigured, and bleeding. She also appeared intoxicated. There was blood on the floor between the bedroom and carpet, and a large amount of blood on the bed sheets themselves. Zink reported not seeing blood anywhere outside or on the porch.

The woman told Zink she’d fallen and hit her nose while out in the driveway after she and Newton returned from the party. Zink told her it was he who’d driven Newton home, and at that point the woman began to cry and shake before repeating that she’d fallen. Zink said he then asked permission to speak to her child, but the woman refused, saying she’d just put the child to sleep. Zink then told her he’d seen the child with her in the bathroom and she appeared to be awake.

Holden said he and another detective interviewed Newton on Feb. 8, and Newton declined to speak with them.

That same day, Detective Sgt. Tara Thomas and Detective Trooper Aimee Nolan interviewed the alleged victim, who said she was outside smoking a cigarette when she slipped, fell, and hit her nose. She called 911 because of the blood, but didn’t follow through because she felt embarrassed.

On Feb. 11, Holden spoke with the father of the woman’s child, who said the child had told him she saw Newton punch her mother in the face. The father told Holden the child doesn’t understand the 911 system, or phones, and that the mother had also asked him not to allow the child to be interviewed.

On Feb. 14, the child was spoken to by Nolan. According to the affidavit, the child said Newton and her mother were arguing, and that Newton said he would hit her mother because he was locked out of the house. Somehow he got inside and came into the bedroom where the child and her mother were and punched the mother in the face, making her nose bleed, the affidavit said. The child said her mother then told Newton she hated him while Newton apologized to them both.

Newton was arrested at his home at 9 p.m. without incident.

At the arraignment, Karyger requested a no contact order between Newton, the woman and her child, as is typical in similar cases. Howard said that while it’s common, it’s not automatic and this appears to be a case where contact can be allowed. He did, however, order that Newton not discuss the incident with the child.

Vermont State Trooper Timothy Newton has pleaded not guilty to charges arising from an off-duty incident in which he is accused of punching a Bennington Police Department dispatcher in the nose after a Super Bowl party.

Judge David Howard released Newton, 32, of Sandgate on conditions, including he not harass the victim, Ashley Audy, his live-in fiancee. Newton also was ordered not to discuss the incident with Audy’s young daughter, whom state police say witnessed the assault.

Newton refused to speak to criminal investigators who were called in from Rockingham to take over the case a day after the incident. He was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault and faces up to 18 months in prison if convicted.

Audy, who hired a lawyer, provided several inconsistent statements during the investigation, court documents say. Newton and Audy had been at a gathering at the home of a Bennington police officer, but an argument ensured and they left for home, police said. Newton later got out of the car and said he would walk home, and Audy drove off, police said.

State police later reported receiving a 911 hang-up call from Newton’s home, and troopers were dispatched when nobody answered a return call. Audy initially told police she had fallen in the driveway of their home, and her young daughter had accidentally dialed 911, state police Detective Richard Holden wrote in court papers.

Responding troopers found Audy with a towel over her face and a large amount of blood in the master bedroom and bathroom, Holden wrote. There was no trace of blood in the driveway, porch or hallway inside the door, he wrote. Police said Audy’s nose appeared broken.

She told Trooper Robert Zink that she and Newton had arrived home from the party just before she fell. Holden said Zink knew that was untrue because he had given Newton a ride home after he was seen walking on Benmont Avenue at about 11 p.m.

Audy also asked police not to interview her daughter, but her ex-husband later gave permission. The girl told detectives that Newton while locked outside the house threaten to hit her mother and later saw him come into the bedroom and punch her, Holden said. 